Currently, there are already various systems that enable information to be retrieved over a network. Many of these systems allow a user to scan a bar code or other coded image using a reader or other image capture device attached to a computer, decode the image data using software installed on the computer, then send the decoded image data over a computer network to a server where the information to be retrieved is stored in a database of other information. The server then sends the retrieved information back to the computer, which then displays it on a monitor.
In alternative systems, the information is not stored on the first server. The server only holds a list of web links or URLs (Uniform Resource Locator) associated with the decoded image data. Once the server identifies the correct URL it is sent back to the computer. The computer then uses the URL to access associated information over the Internet.
Increasingly so and across many different applications, it is desirable to use a similar information retrieval system with mobile devices. This provides the user with mobility while accessing information stored on a remote server, and effectively takes away the bulkiness of a computer.